NORTH RUSTICO, P.E.I. — When the owner of the North Rustico Home Hardware Building Centre heard the P.E.I. government needed disinfectant spray bottles, he decided to go for a drive.
Chris Buote said one of his customers’ wives, who works for the provincial government, reached out to him in March looking for empty one-litre plastic spray bottles that could be used to disinfect everything from rails and door knobs to the steering wheels inside vehicles.
The province had the sanitizing liquid, but the problem was it had it in bulk form, as in five-gallon buckets.
“They needed better ways to apply it," Buote told The Guardian.
He had a couple of plastic bottles on his shelf, so he sent them into Charlottetown to make sure it was what the government was looking for.
“They immediately got back to me and they said, ‘Yes, how many of those can you get for us quickly’?"
He said it
Here are some excerpts from The Guardian’s interview with Chris Buote, owner of the North Rustico Home Hardware Building Centre:
- How has business been in the past month: “We’re really busy. There are so many contractors and existing customers with projects happening. Our delivery trucks are going steady. I’m thankful for that."
- What have you been selling a lot of in the past month: We’ve sold a tonne of paint. People are home with nothing to do, so they want to paint."
Buote logged onto the Home Hardware website and found the distribution centre in Debert, N.S., had 1,700 spray bottles in one of the varieties the province could use.
Problem was, the franchise was operating on a reduced delivery schedule due to the pandemic and it was going to take another six days for delivery.
So, Buote decided to take matters into his own hands. He jumped in his truck on March 24 and drove over, returning with five pallets (1,620 empty spray bottles) the province could use. He delivered them personally to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.
However, Buote is quick to deflect any praise for his efforts.
“I was looking for a way to get out of my office and get away from the news," Buote said humbly.
“A nice long drive is just a beautiful, therapeutic thing sometimes."
“I was looking for a way to get out of my office and get away from the news. A nice long drive is just a beautiful, therapeutic thing sometimes."
Transportation Minister Steven Myers wasn’t letting him get off that easy.
“Islanders have a tendency to band together and take care of one another, and this continues to be evident during these difficult times," Myers told The Guardian in reference to Buote’s efforts.
When pressed a bit more on why he decided to make the trip on his own, Buote said it’s just what Islanders do.
“I wake up every morning thankful for where I live."
Before he left, Buote said he made sure to check with provincial government officials about the drive over. To ensure that he didn’t transport the virus back with him, Buote said he didn’t get out of his truck once from the time he left North Rustico to the time he delivered the product back on P.E.I. soil. Similar rules exist for truckers who transport essential goods and services.
